Flood Re research finds tapes outperform sandbags at keeping floodwater out of homes

Flood Re published research on 15 October 2026, during Flood Action Week, finding that simple, low-cost tapes significantly outperformed traditional sandbags at stopping floodwater entering homes through a front door¹. The tests were commissioned by Flood Re and carried out by the University of Hull in its PFR lab, a purpose-built facility developed with support from Flood Re and the Environment Agency¹.

Researchers tested measures to protect doors at flood depths of up to 600mm, on six commonly used door types, replicating the kind of low-level flooding experienced in Hull in 2007, when more than 8,600 residential properties and 1,300 businesses were damaged¹. All types of tape studied, namely flood putty tape, duct tape, aluminium tape and yellow plastic tape, outperformed traditional sandbags when applied to the outside of a doorway¹. Flood putty tape was up to 10 times more effective than sandbags under the test conditions, and high-quality wide duct tape reduced water leakage by 97-98% compared with an unprotected door¹. Even the lowest-performing tape reduced leakage by 80%, compared to 70% for sandbags¹.

Source: Flood Re and University of Hull test results¹

The research also found that a standard outward-opening door reduced leakage by 74% compared with an inward-opening door, even before any additional flood protection was installed, and that applying tape to the outside of the door achieved significantly better results than taping the inside¹. Temporary barriers produced more mixed results, ranging from full protection to a failure of protection, and depended on the skill of the installer and fit to the doorway; demountable barriers could achieve the highest standards of protection when correctly mounted but were much more difficult to fit without specialist skills, so had the biggest spread of results¹. Tape was described as cheaper, lighter, easier to store and keep ready to hand, and does not disintegrate or rot in the same way as sandbags¹.

Flood Re states that temporary measures such as tape are not a substitute for permanent, professionally specified property flood resilience measures where these are needed, but that relatively simple and affordable products can provide households with an additional line of defence when flooding threatens¹. The Environment Agency estimates that 4.6 million people are at risk of surface water flooding, and the National Flood Risk Assessment identifies low-depth surface water flooding as the fastest-growing flood risk facing households¹.

Why it matters for households

The findings concern the most common route for floodwater to enter a home, the front door, at depths of up to 600mm¹. Flood Re says the results show that low-cost items already widely available can provide an additional line of defence, while stressing that they do not replace permanent resilience measures where these are needed¹. The research forms part of Flood Re's work on Flood Performance Certificates, intended to help homeowners understand their flood risk and the measures they can take to reduce it¹. Flood Minister Emma Hardy said the research was "a promising step forward" and urged everyone to check their flood risk, prepare a flood plan and sign up for flood warnings¹. Households can read more on protecting your home, sandbags and sandless alternatives, flood doors and windows, flood warnings and home insurance in a flood risk area and Flood Re.

What happens next

The government is investing £4.2 billion over the next three years in new defences, according to the Flood Minister¹. Flood Re says the testing forms part of its wider work on resilience, including development of Flood Performance Certificates¹. No date has been reported for their introduction.